Boot Camp

i want to install windows XP on my mac.
My old computer came with recovery CD's for windows, and we dont use the computer anymore, its just lying there, OFF all the time not even pluged in.
Can i use the recovery CD's to install windows on it?
and if i can install windows on it will i loose all of my other files?

i want to install windows XP on my mac.
My old computer came with recovery CD's for windows, and we dont use the computer anymore, its just lying there, OFF all the time not even pluged in.
Can i use the recovery CD's to install windows on it?
and if i can install windows on it will i loose all of my other files?

thanks

It's unlikely that you'll be able to use 'recovery CDs' to install XP into boot camp. Most are customised to a particular system. They tend to be disk images that are restored onto the drive to return it to a 'factory fresh' state rather than full XP install discs.

If you post the info from the front of the disc it may help identify what you have got there.

i want to install windows XP on my mac.
My old computer came with recovery CD's for windows, and we dont use the computer anymore, its just lying there, OFF all the time not even pluged in.
Can i use the recovery CD's to install windows on it?
and if i can install windows on it will i loose all of my other files?

thanks

MY old 2.5 year old HP laptop came with an XP SP2 CD that was labled exactly as that. It didn't say that it was a restore disk at all and any drivers were included on a second CD for that laptop.

Because of this, I was able to use the XP CD to install on my MBP. It had a built in serial number but when I went to activate it, it told me the number was invalid. I then used the serial number that was on the bottom of the laptop and it activated.

If the CD is simply labeled Windows XP SP2, you can probably use it on your Mac. If it's labeled a restore CD, you can't.

You can also buy and use a system builder's OEM disk and use that too - it's what I used, and it's much cheaper. Got mine at newegg.com. There are two kinds of OEM - system builder (which can be moved around) and the Dell/HP/Gateway/whatever disk, which normally can't. If you're buying XP, get the system builder version. Works like a charm.